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If you wish to query your summary valuation or rateable value, you can do so directly with the VOA free of charge. If you wish to find out more contact your local Valuation Office.
Some ratepayers may opt to employ a rating agent. If you wish to do this, it is important to employ a professional and reputable agent, as disreputable agents are known to operate in many areas. There are a number of recognised professional organisations that can put you in touch with a qualified rating surveyor, who will help solve any query and represent your interests.
Professional rating advice is available from members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) who can be contacted on 0207 222 7000 or www.rics.org.uk. A free helpline is available from RICS on 0870 333 1600, where you will not be charged for the first half-hour of your consultation with a rating surveyor.
Reputable rating advice can also be obtained from The Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) on 0207 831 3505 or www.irrv.org.uk, and The Rating Surveyors Association (RSA), www.ratingsurveyorsassociation.org. Do bear in mind that you may be charged for any professional rating advice that you receive via these bodies right from the beginning.
If you choose to take advice from someone who is not from one of these professional bodies, or if you are approached directly by an agent, be on your guard. While the majority of rating agents are not disreputable, those who are have often been found to target people by post, telephone or in person with hard sell tactics and promises of disproportionate savings. They may even tout tempting offers to help ‘substantially reduce’ ratepayers’ rates bills without even inspecting their property or seeing their accounts. Please bear in mind that if the Valuation Office Agency needs to carry out an assessment on your property, you will usually be contacted in advance to agree a convenient time to carry it out. All VOA rating assessors carry identity cards.
It is also important to remember that a reduction in your rateable value does not automatically mean your rates bill will be reduced. The rateable value is a factor in the calculation of the bill, but it is not the amount you pay. Your local authority takes account of many entitlements for which you may qualify (such as Small Business Rate Relief, transitional rate relief and other types of exemption) before your actual rates bill is calculated. A reputable agent will not be able to guarantee you a saving without taking all of these factors into account.
One way to avoid employing a rogue agent is to be informed. Use the information we have provided to ask the agent detailed questions about likely costs to be incurred. Thoroughly read and assess the terms proposed within a contract before signing. Any reputable agent should be able to put you in touch with satisfied clients, and will normally arrange to inspect the property and/or see the accounts before promising to be able to make a substantial difference to your rates bill. It is always advisable to use an agent that is a member of one of the aforementioned professional bodies, and to check their credentials with the body concerned before employing their services.
There is also a Rating Consultancy Code of Practice available.
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